The Purpose of a Press Release: Does Your Business Need One?

If your business is doing something new and exciting, then why not share it with the world? A press release may be just what you need to help spread the word about your business. You may even be able to attract some new potential clients in the process!

 

Indeed, a well-timed press release can affect your business in a number of ways, but do you really need one? Let’s explore the benefits of a press release, and see what it can do for your organization.

 

What is a Press Release?

A press release, or media release, is a written communication that a business or individual provides to the media. It contains specific information that they want to share with their local community, their country, and perhaps even around the world.

 

While the information provided in press releases may differ depending on the business, they tend to share some common goals, such as:

 

  • Alerting the media with the hope that they will take an interest and spread the word
  • Sharing a little information with reporters in hope that they’ll want to do a more in-depth article
  • Boosting brand awareness

 

You may have noticed the word “hope” in there a few times. This is because issuing a press release doesn’t guarantee that the media will pick it up and share your news. They’re looking for information that will be of interest to their readers, so it’s always a good idea for a business to specifically seek out relevant media outlets when issuing a press release.

 

Is a Press Release the Same as a Media Advisory?

While they certainly sound similar, a press release and a media advisory are not the same thing. A press release is more like a short article, as it often contains facts and quotes that can easily be picked up by media outlets and inserted into various news stories. 

 

A media advisory, on the other hand, typically contains very basic information. They are mostly used to increase awareness about or attendance at an upcoming event.

 

What are the Benefits of Issuing a Press Release?

We’ve already touched on some of the potential benefits, like spreading the word about your business and boosting brand recognition, but there are other, perhaps less obvious ones as well.

 

It Allows You to Control the Story

If you look into the history of press releases, this may be why they were invented in the first place. A press release allows you to proactively control the story before it gets picked up by the media. 

 

It’s almost a win-win situation: you choose what information to share and how you want to share it, and the media doesn’t have to do a ton of extra research into your story. This helps prevent any confusion or misinformation about what has been going on with your business.

 

It Can Provide a Boost to Your Social Media Channels

While we may think of providing press releases to more traditional news outlets, such as newspapers and TV stations, they can actually be quite popular on social media. If your press release makes it to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, it may drive more users to your channels. You can then take advantage of that extra traffic to help expand on your release, generate buzz, and hopefully increase your follower count.